Grýla, is an Icelandic ogress that lives in the mountains of Iceland. Every Christmas she is said to come from the mountains in search of naughty children to bundle into her sack.
Origin
the earliest references to Grýla are found in the thirteenth century in Íslendinga saga and Sverris saga (the first part of which is named after Grýla) - her name is even mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's thirteenth century Edda. Grýla was not directly linked to Christmas until in the 17th century. By that time she had become the mother of the Yule Lads. A public decree was issued in 1746 prohibiting the use of Grýla and the Yule Lads to terrify children.
Description
In the folk tales of Jón Árnason, Grýla is described as an horrible monster:
- “Grýla has three heads and three eyes in each head ... Horribly long, curved fingernails, icy blue eyes at the back of the head and horns like a goat, her ears dangle down to her shoulders and are :attached to the nose in front. She has a beard on her chin that is like knotted yarn on a weave with tangles hanging from it, while her teeth are like burnt rocks in a grate.”
In a verse from Sturlunga saga, Grýla is described as a monster with 15 tails. A similar description may be found in a poem from the 16th Century; however, that version takes the description further by claiming that each tail contains 100 sacks, and each of those sacks 20 children.
Behavior
Most of the stories told about Gryla were to frighten children – her favourite dish was a stew of naughty kids and she had an insatiable appetite.
According to folklore Grýla has been married three times. Her first husband was named Gustur, but that marriage did not last since Grýla reportedly ate him. She subsequently took a husband by the name of Boli, with whom she had a number of children. Meanwhile, Grýla's present husband, Leppalúði, is familiar to most people, and he is generally nearby when Grýla appears. The pair of them are said to have produced 20 children, of which 13 are the popular Yule Lads.